Friday, 30 November 2012

Earlier this week
people who have experience of living in poverty and civil servants from policy areas that deal
with Community Justice, Public Health and Public Service reform met together to
evaluate and review a mentoring scheme which they have been involved in over
the last 6 months.

People from both groups were paired together and have been
meeting together regularly both in local communities and in Government offices
to talk about each other’s lives and work. The meeting this week was a chance
to reflect on the time that those involved took out of their busy lives to get
to know more about each other. The initial aim for the scheme was that the pairings would meet 6 times
over 6 months which was difficult in practise but was a good aim.

The group thought
that the process had helped them to get to know someone new and that real
relationships developed with real people which otherwise they might not have
met. The process purposely did not have a set agenda, only a sheet of
suggestions of where to meet and ideas that they could consider. This worked
well for those involved, allowing them to find a way of meeting which suited
them. There was also a consensus that it was good to meet each other in their
‘home’ patch which also gave those involved a chance to meet other people from
communities or colleagues. Being introduced to folk by local people made a big
difference to the relationships formed.

Liz* and Julie* were
both very nervous in the lead up to their first meeting however once they got
to know one another this changed. In their meetings they went on walkabout
tours, visited Bridging the Gap (a drop in which Liz is involved in), visited
the Government offices in Edinburgh and met with the Ministers private
secretary and local community police. Liz was challenged by the way Julie
worked and meeting with her regularly helped her feel much more confident and
connected to the political process. Julie very much appreciated the opportunity
to get to know people as herself rather than as a civil servant and welcomed
the chance to learn by getting a feel for things rather than through research.

There has been much
to take away from the process:

Learning, about how
Government works and that civil servants are people and approachable;

Confidence;

A reminder that
society is made up of individuals and the policies made in Government impacts
on those individuals;

and how important it
is not just to spend time behind a desk, but to broaden horizons by meeting
with people directly.

Isabelle* from the PTC,
who was involved in the scheme, said “I got involved as the idea of it sounded
good. I liked the chance to work with civil servants rather than MSPs; the
people that write the policies and don’t just want your vote. Being involved
has helped me to meet someone new that has a different outlook on life and made
me think more about the pressures civil servants go through. I hope to continue
friendship we have formed.”

A number of
recommendations were made and it is hoped that another group of people will
undertake the scheme in the New Year.

Thursday, 15 November 2012

It was
heartening that the Scottish Leaders Forum decided to devote one of its
conferences to "Supporting resilient communities" and the Poverty Truth Commission were very happy to be invited to be a part of the event.The audience
comprised of chief executives from local government, top civil servants and
leaders of major charities and government agencies.Over two workshops we
addressed some 50 delegates stimulating lively discussion at each
session.

Commissioner Anne
Marie Peffer, from Buttle UK, spoke with great panache and humour introducing the work of of the Poverty Truth Commission,
highlighting achievements and future challenges in work with the
media, reducing crime, kinship care and empowering people in poverty to get into
direct discussion with politicians, top officials and policy makers. Fellow commissioner Jean Forrester moved
the workshops with her personal account of being a kinship carer and the work
she is doing to obtain proper recognition for the job they do. Another commissioner, Ghazala Hakeem,
spoke about her work on behalf of the Commission, how it had developed her
confidence all round and especially in her ability to influence change. Finally commissioner Bob Winter, former Lord Provost of Glasgow City Council, wound
up by linking what had been said to the wider subject of the conference. Bob commented
"It was clear from questions discussion and comments after the workshop that we had made a considerable impact."

About her experiences of being a part of the event Anne Marie commented "it was a real pleasure to work with colleagues Bob, Ghazala
and Jean again.
On this occasion quite a few of the audience had actually heard of the
Poverty Truth Commission, but had not experienced the powerful presentations
such as those made by Jean and Ghazala. Once again, the "truth" about
poverty made a big impact and people were clearly moved. Discussion was
to the point and constructive. I am always surprised at the number of
service providers who have never considered involving service users in the
planning of those services and was glad to note that a number of those present
will now be reconsidering their strategy."
Ghazala commented "The Scottish Leaders Forum was an exciting and inspiring event for both the PTC commissioners and the attending delegates. The delegates were interested and positive about our presentation. Many approached us at the end to invite us to their respective organisation to speak to their staff. It is crucial for those who are experiencing poverty to be acknowledged and hears. As Nothing About Us, Without Us, Is For Us."

The workshops led by our commissioners had great feedback and in a letter of thanks Sir Peter Housden, Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government, commented "Your workshop in particular was commended for the speakers’ amazingly powerful presentations. You completely captured the reality of community empowerment and co-production with lessons on how to engage those communities and get the best from people who already want to be the solution as well as from those who may previously have felt they had nothing to give."

About Us

The Poverty Truth Commission brings together some of Scotland's key decision makers with those living at the sharp end of poverty. We work together towards overcoming poverty in Scotland; ensuring that those affected by decisions are central to decision-making. The Commission believes poverty will only truly be addressed when those who experience it first-hand are at the heart of the process.